If you have somehow missed the flow of linear time, we hate to be the ones to introduce it, but Final Fantasy XI is old now. Very old. So it makes sense that after last year nearly saw the game go into a true maintenance mode, potentially even shuttering, the team over at Game Escape would have a few questions for producer Yoji Fujito about the game’s preservation efforts and future. Fujito, in turn, had a lot of answers about preserving the game:

We have an enormous library of assets, source code, and reference materials, which we’ve been making easier to reference should there ever be a project to recreate [FFXI]. For example, our graphical assets like 3D models and textures are made with proprietary specifications, so modernizing those assets into standard formats is something we’ve been working on with relatively high priority. Having said that, our mission is sustaining and stabilizing our current operations in the long term; maintaining the game is our primary focus, while our asset organization is done in the background.

The interview expands to cover a lot of topics: the early in-development town of Sel Phiner (made primarily to see if a PlayStation 2 could even handle an MMORPG), potential expansions to the title’s free trial, and the business concerns behind the lack of in-person events in the US compared to Japan. If you’re a long-term veteran of the game, it’s a fascinating look at the history of the title as well as the planned future, along with a message thanking fans for their continued support and interest in the game.

In the interests of full disclosure, we note that MOP’s Eliot also reviews non-online games for Gamer Escape; he was unconnected to this interview in any capacity, but he is a part of the site’s staff. Source: Gamer Escape